You might think that life is stressful in and of itself. This is partly true. While I can help people achieve success with my life coaching services, I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that you can completely eliminate stress. There will always be stressful situations to deal with.
Some of these situations are worse than others, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. You also don’t have to hold onto the stress you incur. Consider these tips for reducing stress in your life.
Make a List
It’s time to make a list of everything that gives you stress. While this doesn’t sound like a pleasant exercise, it’s not about what you put on your list. The fun is in what you do with your list.
From morning to night, think of all the things that bother you: the dog barking late at night, your morning paper wet from being thrown in a puddle, traffic, and anything else you can think of. Next, write down possible solutions. One by one, focus on getting rid of all of your stressors. If you can’t get rid of some or find a solution, it might be time to change the way you think about it, but we’ll get to that.
Love Yourself
You’re probably overdue for being kind to yourself. Most people are. Most people beat themselves up on a regular basis. The world already does an adequate job in beating you up, and you don’t need to help the world in doing that.
Be compassionate to yourself when you make a mistake. Understand that the person you are now is probably not the same one who has messed up in the past. If you want to make changes, do so lovingly. Take care of yourself by bathing, buying yourself nice things, walking barefoot through the grass, and doing whatever else makes you happy.
Get Moving
Your blood is what keeps you alive. It’s time to get it and the rest of you moving. A lot of people avoid exercise due to the sweat, pain, and fear of what they’ll look like when they exercise. None of this matters because you get to decide how you work out. You can run around a park playing tag with your kids. You can play leapfrog or “duck, duck, goose.”
There aren’t any rules about how to exercise, so don’t listen to the fanatics. Do yoga as the sun is just coming up in the morning. Get in your pool for water aerobics. Dance in the dark with your mp3 player. What’s important is to do physical activity of some type. Exercise produces those good-feeling endorphins that will lower your stress, and it’s even better when you have fun as you work out all that stress.
According to Psychic2Tarot.com, “Physical exercise is [an] excellent way to channel negative energy in a healthy way. Exercise is good for not only your physical health, but for your mental health and emotional wellbeing, too. Try to make 30 minutes each night to dedicate to exercise, and you will feel the benefits.”
Change Your Perspective
Sometimes, things in our lives are stressful because we look at them that way. As MindBodyGreen.com describes it, “things usually seem worse right in that moment. We are too caught up to be objective; we may have unrealistic expectations; or we try to take too much control of things we shouldn’t. We build stories in our mind, and they can sometimes spiral out of control.”
You might have noticed that some people tend to be stressed a lot more than others while some stay calm despite traumatic circumstances. If you have an opportunity to look at something in a different way that’s positive, go for it.
Instead of fearing a report you have to do, look at it as a potential promotion in the making. It could be your time to shine. You could decide to show your employers what you’re made of while demonstrating all of your talents and showing how much you love your job. If you face the world with fear and dread, you’re going to be stressed every minute of your life. You have what it takes to live a victorious life. Don’t settle for being afraid anymore.
Plan Your Day
Every morning, set yourself up for success. Decide what you’re going to do ahead of time, but aim at having a truly awesome day. Think of what would make a fantastic day for you. It could contain some amount of work, time with family and friends, drinking coffee, working out, watching a TV program, or doing whatever else you think would make a great day. Give yourself ample time to attend to all of these things. Don’t take on anything else, and commit to getting these activities done.
Don’t forget to be present in the moment for everything you do. You don’t want to think about work while you’re having dinner with your kids. At the end of the day, think back on all that you did and how much you’ve enjoyed it. Don’t kick yourself if you didn’t get it all done. Knowing that you’ve made progress will bring contentment and happiness.
Relax
Your day is comprised of many things, and you get to decide what you do. Even if there is a meeting that you have to attend, you still essentially choose if you go to that meeting. For as many things you could put under your work category, you need as many things that are considered relaxing.
Relaxation can come in any form too: deep breathing, a bubble bath, lighting a scented candle, wearing plush socks, wrapping yourself in your favorite cardigan, or reading a book. Take steps to create a comfortable and uplifting environment in your home. Surround yourself with things that make you happy, remove clutter, and cultivate a relaxing atmosphere through home fragrance, live plants, and natural light. There are no rules for relaxing—do what makes you feel good. Mix and match things between your work and relaxation categories.
Laugh
Laughing and smiling helps you feel happy. There’s even a scientific reason why: Laughing produces endorphins, which directly work to decrease stress. Laughter also enables you to sleep better, reduces pain, and offers many other benefits that can indirectly influence your stress levels. You can fake laughter. The brain doesn’t know the difference, but it’s always better to laugh at something you find funny. Watch a comedy. Have a laughter contest with your kids. It’s like a staring contest, but your aim is to make the other person laugh first with the goofiest faces.
You can always watch short funny videos if you’re strapped for time. Short videos are useful to watch when you need a quick break from work. Take time to laugh at the things you do. You’ll feel better about making mistakes and have fun in the process.
Life doesn’t have to be so stressful, but we tend to make it that way. It’s up to you to relieve your stress and live a life you’ve always wanted.
Related Content
Leave a Reply